Hidden Culture

There’s no need to venture to Paris for spectacular art – some of France’s most unique and impressive works can be found in the most unassuming locations.

- Hannah Evans

Hours of queuing, shoulder-to-shoulder shuffling and peering over heads is what most of us brace ourselves for when visiting museums and galleries in France – at least the ones that top TripAdvisor lists. Add to that the fact that pricey Paris dominates the French art and culture scene, and it starts to sound less inspiring and more like an ordeal! But there’s no need to brave the crowds to view some of the best art France has to offer; in fact, you don’t need to go to a city at all. There are hidden cultural and artistic gems all over France, including areas particularly beloved by expats. Here’s a sample of my favourite museums and galleries in lesser known locations across France and, should you fall in love with the area, I’ve included a taste of what’s currently on the market nearby.

LANDERNEAU, FINISTERE

A small market town in Finistère is not where you’d typically expect to find 200 works by Picasso – yet in Landerneau, half an hour east of Brest, Finistère, that’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Since its opening in 2011, the Fonds Hélène et Édouard Leclerc (the same Leclerc of the French supermarket chain) has been hosting major exhibitions of renowned international artists. The gallery space, tucked away between a restaurant and a primary school, has an eclectic past: it has been a convent, brewery, seaweed processor and bleach factory!

The cultural institution is financed entirely by philanthropic actions of the Leclerc family, and to date has exhibited art heavyweights Joan Miró, Jean Dubuffet, Alberto Giacommetti, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso, among others.